In Tuscany, Grape Flatbread means only one thing: September has arrived, and it’s time to harvest grapes for wine!
This yeast bread is of peasant origin, a dessert made with little that was eagerly awaited by everyone. It was the dessert prepared during the grape harvest, with what was available at home at that time: bread dough, wine grapes, and rosemary.
Its sweetness is mainly given by the grapes and the little sugar needed to caramelize the grapes. My mother used to make it often, and rummaging through my memories, I tried to recreate her recipe, obviously using sourdough starter as the leavening agent. If I have piqued your interest, let’s begin!
For other recipes born from recycling bread or dough, take a look here
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Rest time: 4 Hours
- Preparation time: 6 Hours
- Portions: 12
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 270.31 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 54.67 (g) of which sugars 21.31 (g)
- Proteins 5.09 (g)
- Fat 4.21 (g) of which saturated 0.68 (g)of which unsaturated 0.36 (g)
- Fibers 1.71 (g)
- Sodium 201.58 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 150 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Tuscan Grape Flatbread
Traditionally, this flatbread uses small black wine grapes.
In Tuscany, they are specifically sold for this purpose, although it’s easy to get a few bunches from someone who grows grapes. I know it’s not easy to find where there’s no accommodating farmer. I’ll give you some valid alternatives in the FAQs at the end of the article.
- 3 3/5 cups type 1 flour
- 1 cup sourdough starter (refreshed and doubled)
- 1 1/16 cup water
- 3 1/3 tbsp milk (Or plant-based drink)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 2.2 lbs grapes (wine variety)
- 3 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 sprigs rosemary
- 2 tsp powdered anise
- 1 tsp salt
What You Need for Tuscan Grape Flatbread
The Tuscan tradition requires using a rectangular aluminum baking pan for this flatbread. Mine is 15.75 x 11.81 inches. Of course, non-stick ones will also work!
- 1 Mixer
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Cling Film
- 1 Pastry Board
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 Pan
- 1 Aluminum Baking Pan
- 1 Brush
- 1 Sieve
Preparation of Tuscan Grape Flatbread
Making Tuscan grape flatbread is easy because, as mentioned, it starts from a simple bread dough to which some flavors are added. Here I give my recipe for making the dough, but you can start from any simple dough.
In the mixer, dissolve the sourdough starter in half of the water. After a couple of minutes, add 20 g of sugar. Start adding the flour sifted, alternating with the rest of the water, making sure it is absorbed before adding more. Increase the speed slightly and let it bind. At this point, add the milk in three parts and let it regain the bind. The mixer should be clean with the dough all clinging to the hook. Finish with a pinch of salt and complete the binding.
Place the dough in a greased bowl. After half an hour of rest, do two rounds of simple folds half an hour apart. To continue with the recipe, you can choose (based on the time available and the external temperature) to cover with cling film and leave at room temperature to almost double, or put it in the fridge to mature and proceed the next day with the rest of the process.
At this point, you need to prepare what is needed to assemble the grape flatbread. Heat the oil with half of the rosemary in a saucepan. It shouldn’t fry but only heat up to capture the aroma of the rosemary. Let it cool down and then strain it. Set aside.
Deseed the grapes in a bowl, wash and dry them. Add the powdered sugar and mix well, letting it rest as much as possible, at least an hour.
This step is essential to release the juice from the grapes and make the cake sweeter and softer.
Now it’s time to assemble the Tuscan grape flatbread!
Take the dough, place it on the pastry board, and divide it into two parts.
Roll one part thinly with a rolling pin and lay it in the baking pan previously greased with some oil.
Spread a generous amount of grapes over the dough, covering every possible space, adding some of the liquid from the grapes. Add half of the remaining sugar, brush with the flavored oil, and add some of the anise. To make it juicier, gently press the grapes.
Roll out the remaining dough and place it over the other. Seal the edges well all around and repeat the previous steps: spread the grapes and their liquid, the oil, sugar, and anise. Also, add some fresh rosemary on top.
Press well on the grapes on top so that some break and some “sink” into the dough.
While assembling the flatbread, preheat the oven to 356 degrees Fahrenheit, static. Once it has reached temperature, bake the pan and cook for 30/35 minutes. Remove from the oven, wait for it to cool, and enjoy!
Variants and Advice
Like all traditional recipes, every area of Tuscany has its variation of grape flatbread. Almost every family does. Some don’t put anise, some add, like in Greve in Chianti, walnuts; some make the dough more like brioche than bread, some make one layer and some make three. So there’s room for creativity! The Tuscan grape flatbread keeps for 2 days covered with a cloth. It might be better eaten the day after because it has time to moisten well.
If you liked this recipe, you might also try the sourdough ring cake or the apple cake, also with sourdough! For more ideas and advice, find me on Instagram!
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Below I’ve imagined some of the difficulties you might encounter making grape flatbread. If there are others, feel free to ask on Instagram, and I’ll be happy to help you!
I don’t have wine grapes, what can I use?
Wine grapes have small, dark, slightly sour berries. If it’s difficult to get them, you can try strawberry or American grapes, Moscato grapes for a “white” version, or any small grape variety, even seedless. They will obviously be sweeter, so it’s advisable to modify the sugar quantity to avoid ending up with an overly sweet finished product!
How long does it take for the dough to double?
It depends on how active the sourdough starter is and the outdoor temperatures. Normally between 6/8 hours.
What kind of flour can I use?
In this recipe, I used type 1 flour, but you can use any flour that can develop a gluten network: type 0, type 2, 00, or whole wheat, perhaps mixed with some type 0.
I don’t have a sourdough starter, what do I do?
You can make a bread dough with yeast or dried yeast, as per your habit, and then proceed with the rest of the recipe. Alternatively, you can add 5/7 grams of yeast in this recipe.
